Monday, December 31, 2007

Yesterday, I was tempted to spend New Year's Eve inside, eating tiramisu and drinking red wine. I woke up early though and realized that getting dressed up in satin or sequins was just an easy way of communicating, 'By the way, Now We're Having Fun.' Men are especially slow in understanding this concept, so I figured what the heck...

I got happy about New Year's Eve!

Next, I girded myself for festivities. I applied a hot compress and washed my face with Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Milk. I even exfoliated my lips with BeFine Lip Exfoliator. It's vegan with sesame oil, so I figured it wouldn't hurt. I brushed my teeth and flossed (Uh OMG, TMI Charlotte!) for the new year.

My Wizard of Oz couch made me fall into a long slumber for two hours, until I awoke to the dulcet tones of Lifetime TV. Beautiful Girls, an early Natalie Portman movie, was on. Natalie plays a 13-year old tomboy named Marty, but she didn't make the spots on my face go away--too much caffeine lately--so I headed to Sephora, which was being ransacked by anxious New York girlies eager to pucker up tonight. Yikes!

Sephora being Sephora on NYE, I elbowed my way to one of the makeup helpers, who led me to Cargo's OneBase #2. Cargo OneBase is a concealer and a foundation, i.e. just what the New Year's Nurse ordered. Whew! They even gave me a free sample of my foundation since it was sold out. Double whew!

On my trip, I discovered Free People had opened up a store on 5th Avenue, and it felt exactly like I was in Venice Beach, California. It was decorated with strings of fake flowers and loads of funky stockings, like these pointelle pixie tights. I wanted everything, but resisted.

When I got home, life was easy. I just washed my hair, threw on all the foundation and concealer, and took advantage of all the lovely brushes in Sephora's splendid gun metal Smokey Eye Kit. You can use some of the smaller brushes for applying concealer too, and sweep a light, shimmery shadow underneath the brow. It really opens up the eyes in a second.

Well, gotta run to my party down the hill and drink champagne. Wishing all of you a Happy New Year's and I really wish for (don't laugh!) Peace on Earth. Be good or bad, but make sure to have fun.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Aaack! Or hooray! I bet your credit cards are perky from extra holiday activity, but soon your feet will be sore and abused from shop-walking, hands calloused from carrying too many bags, and hair covered in pine tree needles from lugging around all those Hannukah bushes and Christmas trees.

Nonetheless, it's all worth it because it's the holidays, and darn it, I love holiday parties, mistletoe, and pretend-snow. Here are a few super-sized, fabulous gifts to give or get or get made up in:

1. To let the races begin, we recommend Sephora's new Supermodel Kit (haha, see above). We're especially fond of this kit because it comes with the wondrous Smashbox's O-GLOW blusher, Make Up For Ever Diamond Shadow in Diamond Black for smoky eyes, apricot blush and Stila lip-gloss. Since it's all packed into one cosmetics case, the Supermodel Kit does all the thinking. Supermodels should never think anyway.

3. Stocking stuffers we want: Perfumeria Gal Lip Balm sets ($18 per set, or $5.50 each) from Spain. My favorite is the Red Currant with just the right amount of shine.

4. An eyeshadow to match every outfit is our version of paradise on earth. Sephora's triple-decker Blockbuster Beauty Palette has 64 eyeshadows, 32 lipsticks, blushes galore, and enough makeup to last you from here until next year. Make mom proud and wear all of them at once.

5. Don a folk-art inspired dress, and maybe someone will give you a fruit cake too. Free People's Bird of Paradise frock is funky for warmer, West Coast holiday parties, and any party where you know there are going to be too many people in the room to bother with mittens.

6. Yes, you're young and fabulous now....me too. So glad we have so many things in common already.

It's just that when the wind whips across your face or egg nog leaves you wondering what happened, you might give this anti-aging moisturizer, Clarins' Generation 6 Serum, a roll. Normally, I'm like "me, old, what?" but as a spring chicken, still me like...Clarins Generation 6, loaded with botanical ingredients, could also be a luxurious, holiday present.

7. This minimalist, dual-tone scoop-neck dress by DKNY makes me want to be Donna Karan. She was a bit tough on the contestants on America's Top Runway. Even so, I'm sure they coached her, so I would still wear her dresses any day of the week. (Hint! Hint!)

Harper’s Bazaar senior editor Jenny Levin offers some great advice, like this tip, in the new book Harper's Bazaar Great Style:Embrace tradition. Sticking with things that have stood the test of time is often the key to looking clean and elegant.

Taking our cues from Ms. Levin, Eyeshadow Goverment is momentarily ga-ga over this chic knit boating dress from J. Crew. We love the simplicity of the details, like the two buttons at the waist, the vintage structure, and the painless color. Navy is endlessly flattering.